When Neville got outside, he found Ron and Hermione drilling Harry about how he was 'really doing.' Seeing Harry's frustrated face and remembering Draco's words, he decided to step in. "Oh, come on, guys. I'm sure Harry's being asked that every five minutes by Remus and Draco. I'm sure that if something was really wrong, he'd tell us."
Harry shot Neville a grateful look. "I really am doing better. I'm not claiming to be recovered or anything, but I'm better than I was."
Ron was about to protest when Hermione, seeing the look that Neville was shooting her, elbowed him in the side. "Well, anything's better than rock-bottom, and you have to admit, that's where you were," she put in smoothly. "Now what do you say we find something else to talk about?"
Ron grumbled, rubbing his ribs, but didn't dare to say anything. Harry's expression lightened some. "Sounds good to me-you can catch me up on the Gryffindor gossip." He looked at Ron, trying to include him and soothe over his hurt feelings from Harry's refusal to talk. "How's Ginny's relationship with Colin going?"
Ron shook his head. "It's not," he said with something between a chuckle and a groan. "Turns out she was going out with him just because she thought it would be betraying the family-well, me, really-to like *you*. Once everything was...ummm...'fixed,' I guess, she dropped Colin and is back to professing her undying love for you, Harry."
Harry groaned and laid back on the rock, covering his eyes. "Great. Ron, you know I like your sister and all, but this crush of hers is insane! Why did she throw away someone as great as Colin?"
"No insult taken, mate," Ron assured him. "She was trying her best to come here, saying that her love was all you needed, and that your falling for her would cure everything."
"Luckily," Hermione put in, "there was a very short approved list for seeing you."
Harry sighed. "Well...please, as long as she's in that mood, *don't* let her on that list! She'd be disappointed at any rate, anyway."
"What do you mean?" Neville looked at him quizzically.
"I've been having a hard time feeling...well, anything, of late," Harry confessed. "Even with Remus, who has always been like an uncle or something. To love someone like that when I can't even manage familial love.... Besides, even if I could, it wouldn't be with Ginny." He looked at Ron. "She scares me!"
"Hey, you and me both!" Ron said, laughing.
Hermione sniffed. "Just because she's got a crush on Harry does *not* make Ginny scary. Besides, at least she's willing to admit her feelings." With this statement, she slid a sly look at Ron.
Harry sat up again, a look of interest on his face. "Ron? You have something to share?"
"*Hermione*!" Ron swatted at her, but Hermione just smiled and darted out of his way. "You promised you wouldn't tell!"
"Oh, come on," Hermione scoffed. "Who's Harry going to tell, anyway?"
"I'm not worried about *him*." Ron looked pointedly at Neville.
"Hey!" he protested. "I'm no gossip!"
"You're stuck now," Harry pressed, liking this feeling of being the chaser in a conversation for once. "So you better just spill it now."
Ron flushed bright red. "Well...." He mumbled something incoherently.
"Come on, Ron. So we can all hear it."
"Fine." Ron heaved an exasperated sigh. "Lavender Brown," he said, enunciating each syllable.
Neville blinked. "Lavender? But doesn't she only have eyes for Seamus?"
"No," Hermione said. "She's dating Colin now." She grinned sheepishly. "She, and I quote, 'felt sorry for the poor sweet thing.' Besides, Colin *is* good-looking."
"So *that's* why Ginny was so mad!" Ron exclaimed, putting the pieces together.
"I thought she broke up with him in the first place?" Neville asked, confused.
Ron shrugged. "Maybe it's because he got over her so easily. I don't claim to understand girls."
"Well, *that's* obvious," Hermione said tartly. "Otherwise you'd be able to get somewhere with Lavender."
Harry shook his head at Ron's outraged shriek. 'This is what I needed,' he thought to himself. 'Some time where I'm not being worried about or fussed over. Maybe I can start to relax now.'
Taking his own advice, Harry sat back and listened to the ebb and flow of gossip, losing himself in the pure enjoyment of an afternoon for the first time in a long time.
**********
Harry shot Neville a grateful look. "I really am doing better. I'm not claiming to be recovered or anything, but I'm better than I was."
Ron was about to protest when Hermione, seeing the look that Neville was shooting her, elbowed him in the side. "Well, anything's better than rock-bottom, and you have to admit, that's where you were," she put in smoothly. "Now what do you say we find something else to talk about?"
Ron grumbled, rubbing his ribs, but didn't dare to say anything. Harry's expression lightened some. "Sounds good to me-you can catch me up on the Gryffindor gossip." He looked at Ron, trying to include him and soothe over his hurt feelings from Harry's refusal to talk. "How's Ginny's relationship with Colin going?"
Ron shook his head. "It's not," he said with something between a chuckle and a groan. "Turns out she was going out with him just because she thought it would be betraying the family-well, me, really-to like *you*. Once everything was...ummm...'fixed,' I guess, she dropped Colin and is back to professing her undying love for you, Harry."
Harry groaned and laid back on the rock, covering his eyes. "Great. Ron, you know I like your sister and all, but this crush of hers is insane! Why did she throw away someone as great as Colin?"
"No insult taken, mate," Ron assured him. "She was trying her best to come here, saying that her love was all you needed, and that your falling for her would cure everything."
"Luckily," Hermione put in, "there was a very short approved list for seeing you."
Harry sighed. "Well...please, as long as she's in that mood, *don't* let her on that list! She'd be disappointed at any rate, anyway."
"What do you mean?" Neville looked at him quizzically.
"I've been having a hard time feeling...well, anything, of late," Harry confessed. "Even with Remus, who has always been like an uncle or something. To love someone like that when I can't even manage familial love.... Besides, even if I could, it wouldn't be with Ginny." He looked at Ron. "She scares me!"
"Hey, you and me both!" Ron said, laughing.
Hermione sniffed. "Just because she's got a crush on Harry does *not* make Ginny scary. Besides, at least she's willing to admit her feelings." With this statement, she slid a sly look at Ron.
Harry sat up again, a look of interest on his face. "Ron? You have something to share?"
"*Hermione*!" Ron swatted at her, but Hermione just smiled and darted out of his way. "You promised you wouldn't tell!"
"Oh, come on," Hermione scoffed. "Who's Harry going to tell, anyway?"
"I'm not worried about *him*." Ron looked pointedly at Neville.
"Hey!" he protested. "I'm no gossip!"
"You're stuck now," Harry pressed, liking this feeling of being the chaser in a conversation for once. "So you better just spill it now."
Ron flushed bright red. "Well...." He mumbled something incoherently.
"Come on, Ron. So we can all hear it."
"Fine." Ron heaved an exasperated sigh. "Lavender Brown," he said, enunciating each syllable.
Neville blinked. "Lavender? But doesn't she only have eyes for Seamus?"
"No," Hermione said. "She's dating Colin now." She grinned sheepishly. "She, and I quote, 'felt sorry for the poor sweet thing.' Besides, Colin *is* good-looking."
"So *that's* why Ginny was so mad!" Ron exclaimed, putting the pieces together.
"I thought she broke up with him in the first place?" Neville asked, confused.
Ron shrugged. "Maybe it's because he got over her so easily. I don't claim to understand girls."
"Well, *that's* obvious," Hermione said tartly. "Otherwise you'd be able to get somewhere with Lavender."
Harry shook his head at Ron's outraged shriek. 'This is what I needed,' he thought to himself. 'Some time where I'm not being worried about or fussed over. Maybe I can start to relax now.'
Taking his own advice, Harry sat back and listened to the ebb and flow of gossip, losing himself in the pure enjoyment of an afternoon for the first time in a long time.
**********